Yesterday Bruichladdich Distillery launched its highly anticipated annual Octomore series. Octomore has long enjoyed renowned for producing some of the most heavily peated whiskies to come from Islay, an island long noted for the quality of its peated single malts. This is the 16th batch in the series, and presents a powerful lineup featuring sky-high PPMs, traceable barley and a unique selection of fine casks from all over the globe.
“Octomore exists to provoke and challenge,” says Bruichladdich Distillery Master Blender, Adam Hannett, “something that is on paper so polarising, it shouldn’t really work – it’s too young, too strong and too peaty – hence ‘The Impossible Equation.’ But with each new Octomore expression, the spirit continues to surprise and delight with its depth, its campfire smoke and its incredible flavor profile.”
The first bottle in the batch, Octomore 16.1, was crafted using 100% Scottish Mainland Concerto Barley, malted to 101.4 PPM and aged in cask for five years, with an ABV of 59.3%. The malt was matured in first-fill bourbon barrels, bringing intense peat smoke with surprising delicacy. Octomore 16.1 is priced at $204.99.
Octomore 16.2 uses the same distillate as the 16.1, but has been aged in Oloroso and Bordeaux casks before being finished in Madeira and Portuguese Moscatel for five years and bottled at 58.1% ABV. Octomore 16.2 is priced at $244.99.
Octomore 16.3 is the batch’s showcase of single farm, single field and whisky-making. The archetypal Octomore liquid is produced in its entirety from barley from Octomore Farm. Continuing the Series 16 odyssey, this ultrahigh-provenance single malt whisky explores the influence of barley grown exclusively in Church Field on Octomore Farm, Islay. 16.3 has been aged five years full term in Bourbon, Sauternes and Pedro Ximénez casks with the Islay barley malted to 189.5 PPM and bottled at 61.6% ABV. Octomore 16.3 is priced at $279.99.
Each Octomore single malt Scotch whisky has been conceived, distilled, matured, and bottled on Islay. The spirit is un-chill filtered, contains no added color and has been brought to strength using Octomore Spring water from Islay.
